Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.

Ruth

Chapter 1

¶1. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges were judging that there was a famine in the land, and a man left Bethlehem-Judah to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

2. And the man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two son’s names were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem-Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and there they remained.

3. And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

4. And they took wives for themselves, Moabite women; the name of the first was Orpah, and the name of second was Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

5. And Mahlon and Chilion also died, both of them, and the woman was bereaved of her two children in addition to her husband.

6. And she rose up, she and her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab, for in the country of Moab she had heard that the Lord had visited His people, to give them food.

7. And she went out from the place where she had been living, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the road to return to the land of Judah.

8. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go! Each of you return to her mother’s house. May Jehovah deal kindly with you, as you dealt with the dead and with me.

9.May Jehovah grant you that you find rest, each in the house of her husband.” And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept.

10. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”

11. And Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb, that they would be husbands for you?

12.Go back, my daughters. Go! For I am too old to have a husband, and even if I said there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight, and even if I were to bear sons,

13.would you wait for them until they were grown? Would you, for them, shut yourselves in so as not to have a husband? No, my daughters. It is much more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of Jehovah has come out against me.”

14. And they lifted up their voice and wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15. And she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Return after your sister-in-law.”

16. And Ruth said, “Do not beg me to leave you, to turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

17.Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. Jehovah do to me, and more so, if anything but death separates you and me!”

18. And when she saw that she was determined to go with her, she ceased talking to her.

19. And the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened that when they came into Bethlehem, the whole city was moved because of them, and they said, “Is this Naomi?”

20. But she said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi.[1] Call me Mara.[2] For the Almighty has made me very bitter.

21.I left full, and Jehovah has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Jehovah has testified against me and the Almighty has done evil to me?”

22. So, Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, the one who came back with her from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.[3]

Chapter 2

1. And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a very wealthy man of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

2. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “If you please, I will go to the field and glean ears of grain after someone in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

3. So she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And her chance came at a portion of the land belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4. And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and he said to the reapers, “Jehovah be with you!” And they said to him, “Jehovah bless you!”

5. Then Boaz said to his young man who was set over the reapers, “To whom does this young woman belong?”

6. And the young man who was set over the reapers answered and said, “A young Moabite woman. She is the one who returned with Naomi from the country of Moab.

7.And she said, ‘Let me glean, please, and after the reapers, I will gather among the sheaves.’ And so, she came into the field, and she has continued from morning until now, except that she sat at the house a little while.”

8. And then Boaz said to Ruth, “Do you not hear, my daughter? You are not to glean in another field. Do not leave this one. You are to stay close by my young women.

9.Let your eyes be on the field that they harvest, and go in after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men draw.”

10. And she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “How is it that I have found favor in your eyes, that you should pay me any attention — I, a foreigner?”

11. And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, that you forsook your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.

12.May Jehovah reward your deed, and may your wages be paid in full by Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wing you have come for refuge.”

13. And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me, and you have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not like any of your maidservants.

14. And when it was time to eat, Boaz said to her, “Come over here and eat the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” So she sat alongside the reapers; and he passed some parched grain to her, and she ate and was full, and had some left over.

15. When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

16.And make sure that you pull out some grain from the bundles for her and leave them for her to pick up — and do not rebuke her!”

17. And she gleaned in the field until evening, and she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah[4] of barley.

18. And she took it up and went into the city. And her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. And then she brought out and gave her what she had left over after she was full.

19. And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today?” Where did you work? May he who showed you regard be blessed!” And she told her mother-in-law who she worked with. She said, “The name of the man that I worked with today is Boaz.”

20. And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of Jehovah, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness to the living or to the dead!” And then Naomi told her, “The man is our near kinsman! He is one of our redeemers!”

21. And Ruth the Moabitess said, “He even said to me, ‘You stay close to my young men until they have completed my entire harvest!’

22. And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you are going out with his young women, so that men in another field won’t come at you.”

23. And so, she stayed close to Boaz’ young women, to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Chapter 3

1. And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, am I not seeking security for you, that it may be well with you?

2.Isn’t Boaz our kinsman now, whose young women you have been with? Behold, he will be winnowing barley at the threshing-floor tonight.

3.You bathe, and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak, and go down to the threshing-floor. Do not show yourself to the man until he is finished eating and drinking.

4.And let it be that when he lies down, you mark the place where he lies down, and then you go and uncover his feet, and you lie down. And, he will tell you what you are to do.”

5. And she said to her, “All that you say, I will do.”

6. And she went down to the threshing-floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her.

7. And Boaz ate and drank, and his heart felt good, and he went in to lie down at the end of pile. And she went in secretly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

8. And it came to pass in the middle of the night that the man trembled when he turned himself and behold, a woman was lying at his feet!

9. And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your handmaid, and you are to spread your skirt over your handmaid, for you are the redeemer.”

10. And he said, “May you be blessed of Jehovah, my daughter. You have done well. Your latter kindness is more than the first, in not going after the young men, whether poor or rich.

11.So now, do not be afraid, my daughter. All that you say, I will do for you, for everyone at the gate of my people knows that you are a worthy woman.

12. Now, it is certainly true that I am a kinsman-redeemer; however, there is a redeemer nearer than I.

13.Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, fine; he will redeem you. But if he is not pleased to redeem you, as surely as Jehovah lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until morning.”

14. And she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before anyone could recognize his neighbor. And he said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing-floor!”

15. And he said, “Bring me the cloak that is on you, and you hold it.” And she held it while he measured out six measures of barley and then lay it on her. And she went into the city.

16. And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “Who are you, my daughter?” And then she told her all that the man had done to her.

17. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘You shall not go empty to your mother-in-law.”

18. And she said, “Sit, my daughter, until you learn how the matter will fall out, for the man will not rest until he finishes with the matter today.

Chapter 4

1. And Boaz went up to the gate and sat there. And behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken passed by. And he said, “[Such and such], turn in and have a seat.” And so, he turned and sat down.

2. And he took ten men from among the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” And they sat down.

3. And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother, to Elimelech.

4.And I said I would inform you and tell you, before those sitting here and elders of my people, to buy it. If you will redeem it, then redeem it. But if you will not redeem it, tell me, so that I may know. For there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

5. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you have also bought Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the man who died, to perpetuate the name of the dead for his inheritance.”

6. And the near-kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. You take my right to redeem it for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7. This used to be the way of redemption and exchange in Israel, to confirm every matter: a man would take off his sandal and give it to his neighbor, and this was the attestation in Israel.

8. And the kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he pulled off his sandal.

9. And then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon,

10.and also Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, have I bought as a wife for myself, to raise up a name for the dead for his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his kinsmen, nor be cut off from the gate of his abode. You are witnesses today!”

11. And all the people who were in the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May Jehovah grant that the woman who is coming into your house be as Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel, and make her prosperous in Ephratah and famous in Bethlehem.

12.And may your house be as the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the seed that Jehovah gives you by this young woman!”

13. And Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and Jehovah granted her conception, and she bore a son.

14. And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Jehovah, who has not left you without a kinsman this day, and may his name be proclaimed in Israel!

15.And may he be for you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you — she who is better to you than seven sons — has borne him!”

16. And Naomi took the baby, and she laid him in her bosom and became his nurse.

17. And the neighborhood women gave him a name, saying, “A son is borne for Naomi!” And they called his name Obed[5]. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.